Sanitary napkin



Sp. 22 R942. l c. A. FQURNESS SANITARY NAPKIN Filed Feb. 3, 1959 Patented Sept. 22,1942

SANITARY NAPKIN Charles A. Fourness, Appleton, Wis., assigner 'to International Cellucotton Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application February 8,1939, Serial No. 255,279

(Cl. 12S-290) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a sanitary napkin and it has for its main objects the provision of a sanitary napkin having improved anti-chaflng and body-fitting properties, high but controlled absorbent capacity, and clothing protectionfeatures. A further object is that of providing a sanitary napkin construction which attains the foregoing objects in an inexpensive and commercially practicable manner. i

A In general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved sanitary napkin and otherl specific objects and advantages will be understood by reference to the following specication and accompanying drawing, wherein there is disclosed a sanitary napkin embodying the improved construction.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the improved sanitary napkin, the samebeing partly opened up t'o reveal theconstruction' thereof; Figures y2 and 3 are sections respectively on the Figure' 4 is an exploded perspective of a portion of the napkin.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved sanitary napkin comprises an absorbent pad body 6 and a wrapper l. The wrapper 'I may convenientlybe made of woven gauze material or any other material suitable for the purpose, and,

as shown in Figure l, it is considerably longer than the pad 6 so lthat it extends beyond the ends of the pad. The wrapper is formed from a web of material which is Wider than the width of the pad body, and the web is folded longitudinally around theA pad in such a way that marginal si-de portions of the wrapper overlap at B. Incident to the extra length of the wrapper, tabs such as indicated at 9 are formed at each end of the pad, the same serving to facilitate attachment of the napkin to a sanitary belt or on the inside of the margin which is first folded over the pad, so that said thread is inside of both folded margins of the gauze.

The absorbent pad part 6 comprises outer 'intermediate layer or section I2, preferably formed of a plurality of relatively superposed plies of-creped tissue paper,` although not necessarily restricted to such material. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the intermediate section I2 is considerably shorter than the outer sectionsunder suiiicient pressure to unite said end por` tions. Such union requires no adhesive material but may depend solely upon the interlocking of ilbresof the material of the respective sections when subjected to suiiicient pressure. By thus uniting the end portions of the outer sections, the said intermediate section I 2 is more or less locked in place between said sections, so that it may not shift longitudinally. The pressing together ofsaid end portions incidentally causes the said outer sections I0 and II to more or less clamp between them the said inner section, so that the inner section is thereby to some extent at least held against sidewise said outer sections. Said intermediate section I2 is'oi substantially the same widthas vthe outer sections as lclearly shown in Figure 3, and it is preferably formed of material which is foldedupon itself as indicated at I4, thefol-ding being located approximately mid-way between the ends of the web of material, constituting the inner section.

The relative lengths of the intermediate and outer absorbent sections is subject to considerable variation. For practical purposes, it is pre- Y ferred that the outer sections extend beyond the ends of the inner section a distance of approximately one-half the width of the pad or perhaps each other on one face vof the pad, as indicated a little more than one-half such width. Such relationship between the intermediate and outer pad sections provides an adequate capacity for fluid absorption and it locates thefolded end of the intermediate section in a desirable position where the inherent stiffness of the fold produces certain form-maintaining 4effects in the napkin. As shown, the extended end portions of the outer sections 'are preferably rounded. It will be evident that the described relationship is not a critical one but that it 'may be changed matelayers or sections I0 and II., respectively, and an 55 rially without substantially impairingthe advantages of the structure. Y

Between the folds ofthe inner section I2 there is provided an insert element I5' which may be formed according to the teaching of Patent No. 1,863,333 to Heitmeyer, for controlling the spread of the' absorption in the pad.4 A baille element I6 may if desired be interposed between one side shifting between l of said inner section i2 and the adjacent outer section i0, to prevent the penetration of absorption from one face of the napmn to the other. As shown in the drawing, the baille i6 should be located adjacent that side of the pad on which the overlapping gauze portions t occur, which is normally the outside of the pad, i. e., the side worn away from the body.

To impart anti-channg and comfort characteristics to the napkin. the opposite faces of the pad body may be covered with thin but soft webs or layers il and i8 of cotton or other cushioning material, and the pad edges may be enclosed in relatively narrow strips i9 and 26 of cotton folded around said edges and overlapping, relatively narrow marginal side portions of the pad body.V Desirably, moisture-prooi strips il and 22 are interposed between said edge cushion strips and the edges of the padbody, so as to prevent absorption from appearing on the outside of the pad edges. As shown, the cushion edge strips i9 and 20 are somewhat'wider than the moisture-proof strips 2l and 22, so that marginal side portions of the cushion strips extend beyond the edges of the moisture-proof strip and contact dlrectly the cotton-covered faces of the pad body. Such contact, whether or not the cotton facings are present on the pad body, is effective to attach the cushion edge strips to the pad body, whereby the said edge strips become effective to hold the moisture-proof strips 2 i and 22 in place. It will be understood that the moisture-proof strips 2l and 22 are made of soit material but which, because of its moisture-proof quality, has little or no tendency to cling or attach itself to the material of the Apad body, wherefore the anchoring eect of the cushion strips is a desirable advantage.

In one practical embodiment of the described structure, the two outer sections i@ and ii may be a ten-ply creped tissue paper construction. and the folded intermediate section may also be formed from a ten-ply vweb foldedupon itself to thereby provide twenty plies in said intermediate section. y

The napkin structure above described embodies adequate comfort-giving' features including the anti-chang or cushioning effects of the edge strips i9 and 20, and the facings il and id. In

Y addition, the compressed end portions i3. i3 of accessi section i2 instead of the absorption-controlling element l5, the bale IB being then preferably omitted. In such a construction, the continuity of the folded insert provides a wick-like connecof the invention, of which the foregoing disclosure is merely illustrative or exemplary and not necessarily of an essential form of the improved structure.

I claim:

l. In a sanitary napkin, an elongated, absorbent pad comprising a pair of outer sections and an intermediate section, the intermediate section being Shorter than said outer sections, the outer sections having end portions projecting endwise, in mutually overlapping relation, beyond the ends of the intermediate section, said intermediate section comprising a transversely folded strip of absorbent pad material, said folded intermediate section serving to impart to the pad, increased resistance to lengthwise folding and transverse compacting whereby there is imparted to the pad an increased tendency, when being worn, to maintain sealing contact with the legs of the wearer.

2. In a sanitary napkin, an elongnied absorbent pad comprising a pair of outer sections and the outer sections I0 and H impart to said end portions aflatness or stiness which assists in maintaining said end portions in nat, body-hugging condition as is highly desirable. Furthermore, the folded inner section construction supplies, in the folded end ld of said inner section,

an intermediate section, the intermediate section being shorter than said outer sections, the outer sections having end portions projecting endwise, in mutually overlapping relation, beyond the ends of the intermediate section, said intermediate section comprising a, strip of absorbent material folded transversely substantlally mid-way of its ends, said folded intermediate section serving to impart to the pad, increased resistance to lengthwise folding and transverse compacting whereby there is imparted to the pad an increased tendency, when being worn, to maintain sealing contact with the legs of the wearer.

3. In a sanitary napkin, an elongated absorbent pad comprising a pair of outer sections and an intermediate section, the intermediate section being shorter than said outer sections, the outer sections having end portions projecting endwise, in mutually overlapping relation, beyond the ends of the intermediate section, said intermediate section comprising a transversely folded strip of absorbent pad material, the fold in said intermediate section being disposed at one end thereof, said folded intermediate section serving to impart to the pad, increased resistance to lengthwise folding and transverse compact-ing whereby there is imparted to the pad an increased tendency, when being worn, to maintain sealing contact with the legs of the wearer, the fold in said intermediate sectionalso serving to impart t0 the adjacent projecting end portion of the pad, a

- tendency to remain fiat so as to be capable of usually designating the front end of the napkin.

The described location of the baille i6 is such that even though the napkin is applied with the wrong face next'to the body, a certain capacity for absorption is provided so that no serious difficulties will occur before the error may be discovered.

In some instances a baille element may be disassuming an inconspicuous, body hugging posi- I tion on the wearer.

posed intermediate the folds of said folded insert being shorter than said outer sections, the outer sections having end portions projecting endwise, n1 mutually overlapping relation, beyond the ends of the intermediate section, said intermediate section comprising a, transversely folded strip of absorbent pad material, said outer and intermediate sections being formed of soft, readily compressible and pressureemoldable absorbent material, i nd an insert element between the 'folds of said intermediate section, said insert element 'being of absorbent material of substantially 1 wherein the thickness of the intermediate section is greater than thethickness of each of the outer sections.

6. In a sanitary napkin, an elongated absorbent pad 'comprising a pair of outer sections and an intermediate section, vsaid sections being formed of a plurality of relatively superposed plies of crepe tissue paper, the intermediate section being shorter than said outer sections, the outer sections having end portions projecting endwise, in mutually overlappingkrelation, be-

` yond the ends of the intermediate section, said intermediate section comprising a transversely folded strip of absorbent pad material, and an element inserted between the folds of said intermediate section and embodying a plurality of plies of crepe paper tissue compacted more tightly than are the plies of said outer and intermediate sections, the projecting ends of said outer sections being brought together in face to face relation and subjected to suilicient compression to unite the same, whereby said outer sections clampingly hold between them said intermediate section and inserted element.

CHARLES A. FOURNESS. 

